Zagros Mountains

Alvand rises beside Hamadan where the folded Zagros meets the central Iranian plateau. Its granite and diorite massif is deeply cut by valleys, with several summits above 3,500 metres. Thin grasses cover the higher ground, becoming denser around springs and streams. The range is an important watershed and barrier; pastoral groups have used its slopes as summer grazing grounds, while villages occupy the lower valleys around it.